Unknown Promise
by drew.langhals
Summary: Gibbs discovers that a five year-old Tony is being abused right after he lost his own family. He will stop at nothing to save Tony, but can Gibbs move on from his first family to start a new one? *warning: scenes of child abuse*
1. Chapter 1

"No!" The five year-old screamed as his father lunged at him. He tried to protect himself, but even at five he knew that it was a wasted effort. When his father was angry, there was no stopping him.

His father grabbed the boy by his arms and lifted him up from the corner he was huddled in and to his eye level. "What did you just say to me?" He growled slowly, letting the unspoken threats drip from the single sentence.

The boy shook from fear and from the pain he felt in his arms. He knew that when the beating was over then he was going to have more bruises on his arms, but they wouldn't be distinguished from previous one. He knew his father wanted a response and was practically daring the five year-old to repeat what he said. Instead the boy just whimpered an indistinguishable answer and braced for more pain.

His father gave him an evil smirk and nodded. "I thought so." He muttered before throwing his son against the wall and watched him slide down to the floor. He gave the boy a sharp nudge to his hip. "Get up boy." He yelled. When the little boy tried to stagger to his feet, his father laughed and picked him again, but this time by grabbing his shirt.

The child's eyes went wide in fear as his father used his free hand to repeatedly punch, hit, and smack him. After the first few hits, the child closed his eyes and tried to block out the pain. While his was being physically hit, he was also being yelled at.

"You are a worthless little brat! You're spoiled and annoying! You're useless and always in trouble!" His father repeatedly screamed in the boy's slightly bruised face. The boy shuddered as he waited for the beating to stop.

After several more minutes of excruciating pain, his father just dropped him back on the hardwood floor with a loud thump and walked away from the almost unconscious child, still muttering angrily.

The five year-old whimpered quietly and silently shed a tear as he slipped into a black void.

The 33 year-old marine walked down the empty street with his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his head down. He wasn't Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs anymore. Now he was Special Agent Gibbs...well not special agent yet. He just joined NIS and was still a probationary agent under Special Agent Franks. It was his first weekend off from the job, and he was extremely lonely in his house. Ever since his wife, Shannon, and their daughter, Kelly, had died, his house seemed so much lonelier and empty and he didn't know how to change that.

Gibbs took the walk to clear his head, but stopped when a small boy almost ran into him. He reached down with lightning fast reflexes and caught the boy before he could fall to the ground. "Whoa! Careful buddy." He said, steading the young child.

The boy mumbled an apology for almost hitting him and refused to look up at the man. He shook slightly, still trying to recover from the latest of his father's episodes. His arms hurt, he was dizzy, and really tired. The only reason the boy was outside was because he was looking for a hiding place from his father.

Gibbs squatted down in front of the small boy and went to dust off his arms. The second he lifted his arm up the boy visibly flinched and cringed away from him, whimpering slightly. Gibbs leaned back to assure the boy that nothing was going to happen. "Hey, it's okay." He whispered gently. He leaned closer slowly so he wouldn't startle the child. Gibbs was shocked by the scene he just saw and noticed what looked like faint bruising on the side of the boy's neck and saw some more creeping up his neck from under the long-sleeve shirt he wore. Gibbs slowly rested his arm on the boy's. "I won't hurt you. I was just going to get the dust off your shoulders." He looked around and saw nobody else outside. "I'm Jethro. Can you tell me your name?" He pressed gently.

The boy went stiff when Gibbs touched his arm, and didn't relax at all while the man talked to him. He looked around nervously for his father before looking back at this Jethro man. He looked into his eyes and was surprised when he didn't see coldness and evil like his father's. The boy thought all men had that look in their eyes, but this man's gaze was full of warmth and… kindness. He felt that this man might be able to help him, and that he could be trusted. He looked around again before leaning in closer to the man with kind eyes. "My name is Tony." He whispered, barely audible.

Gibbs had to strain, but he caught the boy's name. He gave him a kind smile. "Nice to meet you Tony." He stood up and was about to say more when he heard a voice yelling.

"Anthony! Anthony, where'd you go?" An older version of the small child walked along the sidewalk calling for the boy. Gibbs saw the man and turned back to Tony to find that the boy who finally seemed to start relaxing was stiff with fear and had moved slightly to hide behind Gibbs. By the time Gibbs made the connections to the fear in Tony's eye and the bruises, the older man noticed them and had walked over.

"Anthony? Are you over here?" He asked as he walked up. He saw the five year-old hiding behind the stranger and a look of rage flashed across his face before he calmed down and faked concern. "Anthony, I didn't know where you went. I was scared to death." He gave a charming smile to the stranger that still stood between him and his son. Hiding his annoyance, he put his hand out for a handshake. "Hello. I'm Anthony DiNozzo Sr., and you have obviously met my son."

Gibbs glanced back at the still hiding child, and paused before addressing Anthony. He shook the still outstretched hand. "Jethro."

Senior smiled. "Nice to meet you Jethro." He paused and looked around at the small child. "I'm sorry if my son bothered you. He hasn't learned yet to leave other people to their own business." He reached around Gibbs and grabbed the boy's arm, almost making him yelp in pain.

Gibbs saw the flash of pain in the child's eyes and he was pulled back to his father. He clenched and unclenched his fists, cursing silently, but still kept a pleasant smile. "He wasn't bothering me at all. In fact, we were just introducing ourselves."

Senior gave an apologetic smile. "Well, I'm still sorry that you were disturbed. Have a nice rest of the day!" He called, not giving Gibbs a chance to comment as he practically dragged his son home while he spoke.

Gibbs watched them go and sighed before he turned to walk away. He could tell that the poor child was being abused by his father. The bruises were evidence enough, but the paralyzing fear is what gave it away. As he walked away from them and back to his own house, Gibbs knew that he couldn't focus on anything else until he knew that the boy was safe and away from the pain.

Back inside that house, Tony cowered on the floor as his father screamed at him. "Why were you outside!? You know you aren't allowed anywhere but your room and the bathroom without my permission! And talking to someone? What did you tell that man!?" He knew he wasn't going to get a reply, so he didn't wait. Tony bit his tongue to stop a scream from escaping his lips as his father repeatedly kicked him in the gut as he continued yelling at him.

Finally, Tony almost passed out from the pain of the kicks and his father decided stopped. The relief was short lived though, because Senior just picked Tony up again and carried him to his tiny room and threw him on the floor. That was where he lied for the rest of night until the sunlight shone through into his room. He whimpered quietly all night, silently begging for Jethro, the man with the kind eyes, to come and save him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I think I have this all figured out now. I want to say thank you so much to everyone who has read this! I get on my email and see so many alerts! It made my day. I guess I'm better at writing than I let myself think. I'm just going to let everyone know right now that the updates are going to be sporadic. It's my junior year in high school and I have a bunch of tough classes to pass and I'm about to start my job on the 11th! Yay! Between that and my parents splitting up, it's going odd trying to find time to write and update, so be patient with my please. Thanks again to everyone who had reviewed/followed/favorited this story!

**Disclaimer! **I don't own NCIS. I wish I did, but I don't.

* * *

That Monday, Gibbs was sitting at his desk, pondering the situation he came across during the past weekend. His mentor finally confronted Gibbs, since he hasn't done any work all day.

"You just got this job Probie. It'd be a shame for you to lose it over a day of daydreaming." Franks threatened, bringing Gibbs from his thoughts.

Gibbs shrugged. "Sorry Mike. I was thinking about something that happened over the weekend." He went on to explain the confrontation with the scared child and his abusive father. After he was done, he looked up at Franks, waiting for a reply.

Mike looked at him, thinking. He took a deep breath and reached to his desk for some papers. "Ya know Probie, as federal agents, we are obligated to report abuse to our HR office. Sometime, even report it to Legal." He hinted.

Gibbs picked up on the hidden message and stood up. "You're right Boss. I'll go report what I saw." With that, he headed down to Human Resources to find a way to save the five year-old.

Mike saw him come back to his desk two hours later. "What took ya so long, Probie?"

Gibbs grinned. "I was taking your advice Mike. After I went to HR, I visited Legal."

Mike leaned closer from his own desk. "And?"

Gibbs just shrugged. "Nothing is definite yet, but I think I just saved that kid's life."

Mike stood up and walked over to Gibbs' desk. He slapped him on the back and smiled. "Good for you. Now you can finally get to work." He commented before he returned to his own desk.

Gibbs continued working until the director called him to his office. Franks looked up and just shrugged. "Don't ask me Probie." He said when he saw Gibbs' confused stare.

Gibbs walked in the director's office. "Director Morrow?" He asked as he walked in.

The director looked up. "Agent Gibbs, come in." They sat down across from each other and shared an uncomfortable silence while the director got his papers together. Finally he looked up at the worried agent. "You can relax Agent Gibbs. You not in trouble." He smiled when he saw his agent relax. "I called you here because I heard about the report you filed. The one about the child you believed to be abused by his father."

Gibbs sat up straighter and nodded. "Yes, over the weekend I was taking a walk and the boy almost ran into me. I caught him an when I went to brush him off, he flinched. Then when his father came looking for him, the boy hid behind me, stiff with fear." He looked up at his boss nervously. "I also noticed that he had bruises and his neck and face."

Director Morrow nodded, thinking. "CPS won't come until tomorrow to take a statement and start an investigation, but I was curious as to why you reported it to _our _HR office and not directly to CPS."

Gibbs shrugged. "I knew our office would get it started rather than let another statement sit in CPS's pile of papers." His face turned serious. "I knew if we had a hand in it, this kid could be safe."

The director only grunted in agreement, knowing that those were valid points. If an alphabet agency got involved, the investigation went quicker and smoother. He watched Agent Gibbs, contemplating his next statement. "Agent Gibbs, have you thought about where the kid would go after he is taken from his father."

Gibbs looked up in surprise. "I would assume he would go to a foster home."

Director Morrow nodded. "I assumed that since you went through so much trouble to make sure this investigation was started, you would like to know where the kid ended up." He pressed.

Gibbs thought for a moment. "I know Ducky has a license as a foster parent. I can mention it to him." He suggested.

The director smirked. His agent was very thick-headed at some concepts. "Agent Gibbs," he finally addressed. "Have _you _thought about becoming a foster parent for this child?"

Gibbs had a look of shock at the director's suggestion. "I never thought of that." He finally stuttered out.

The director nodded, smiling. "I know you just lost your wife and daughter, Agent Gibbs; but if you take all the required classes, I feel like this would be a good thing for both you and this kid. You both need someone, and if you agree I can personally make sure that your classes are done in a very timely fashion."

Gibbs thought for a moment before he smile and nodded. "I would be pleased to take the classes to foster this kid, Director." He paused while the director smiled and nodded again. "But," he continued. "by the time that I have been approved, he will already be in foster care, so I'll still talk to Ducky."

The director stood up with Gibbs following suit and they shook hands. The director led him out of his office and let his agent get back to work.

* * *

The next day, Gibbs was sitting in the conference room with Ducky, Director Morrow, and Miss Sheila Fielding from CPS.

"So, Agent Gibbs, I understand that you were the one that saw the child and his father?" Miss Fielding asked, looking over the notes from the report.

Gibbs nodded. "Yes. I was also the one to first file the report."

Miss fielding nodded and read quietly before finally looking up at the three men. "And may I ask why this has something to do with NCIS?"

Ducky and Gibbs looked at each other while the director spoke up. "Because Miss Fielding, Agent Gibbs would eventually like to foster the child."

"Tony." Gibbs muttered quietly, his head down.

Both Miss Fielding and Director Morrow looked over at him while Ducky smirked.

"What was that Agent Gibbs?" Miss Fielding asked.

Gibbs looked up at stared at the CPS lady. "I said Tony. That's his name. Not some kid or child. He has real name and it's Tony!" He said, getting louder and more heated with every word.

Gibbs stared at the silent group and stood up. He turned towards the door to leave but thought better of it. He has been controlling himself since he first found this kid, but couldn't keep in any longer. He turned back to the group and glared.

"You want to know why this involves us? Because Tony found me! And I don't know how you handle things but I've learned from being a father, a marine, and a cop that you help people who can't help themselves. This is a five year-old who is being abused by his father! The person that is supposed to protect and raise him and all he is doing is ruining that boy's life! If NCIS doesn't try to help people of any age and situation just because they aren't military, then we have a problem. That is why we are involved and that is why I won't stop until I know that Tony is safe and away from his father!" Gibbs yelled before walking out, slamming the door behind him.

Miss Fielding sat there, shocked by the outburst, while the director smirked, knowing that Gibbs was true to his word and cared for this kid. Ducky stared at both of them while he chuckled quietly. He stood up and walked to the door. He smirked when he turned to face the two adults still sitting at the table.

"If you excuse me, I am going to go help my friend save this child's life." With those parting words, Ducky left them to go find Gibbs.

* * *

That's chapter 2! Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **First, I want to thank all my reviewrs for the first to chapters: peppe1951, tvfanwest, Long Live BRUCAS, dianefy, Holly70sgirl, DS2010 Meliea2010, and Mary DiNozzo. Thanks again guys! Second, this is as far as I have gotten with writing this story, but I was so happy with the follows and reviews, and favorites that I just had to update it. So it will be longer for the next chapter to come, but be patient! I am currently on the break of having a mental breakdown everyday during school (it scares me) but see all of these notifications in my email helps lift my spirit, so I'm very thankful for it. Umm... That's all I have for now, so on with the story!

* * *

Gibbs came to work the next morning to find Mike and the director talking. They stopped when he walked over to his desk.

"Good morning Agent Gibbs." Director Morrow smiled.

Gibbs nodded, confused. He thought that after his outburst yesterday and then just leaving, he would be in trouble when he came in today, not sharing pleasantries with the director.

Mike watched his agent try to figure out what was going on and finally couldn't take it anymore. He laughed and turned to the director. "Come on, Tom. Just tell the kid already."

Morrow smiled, laughing as well. "Fine Mike. But only because he has to know sooner rather than later." He turned to Gibbs. "Miss Fielding opened an investigation as soon as you stormed out of the conference room. She said that she has never seen anyone that has no relation to the victim become so worked up and because of it, she saw that NCIS would have a strong hand in the whole ordeal." He paused as Gibbs started to smile. "They are going to Anthony DiNozzo's house today to talk and invited us to come."

Gibbs grinned. "That's amazing Director!" He grabbed his bag. "When do we go?"

The director put a hand up, stopping Gibbs in his tracks. "Miss Fielding saw it best if you don't show up during the first confrontation. She said that if you wanted any chance to foster Tony, then it would be best for both of you if his dad didn't see you in the beginning of the investigation."

Gibbs gave an annoyed snort, but he sat back down. "I've already talked to the guy! I doubt he's going to forget me!" He exclaimed.

The director shrugged. "I'm sorry, Gibbs, but those are her rules." He gestured to Franks. "Mike and I will be assisting her and you will be filled in. I promise."

Gibbs leaned back in his chair, glaring. He understood that it was better for him to stay back, but all he wanted to do was beat the door down and save that kid. He didn't even understand why he felt so passionately about it, other than he missed his family and hated living alone, while some man was granted a family and is taking advantage of that gift. Gibbs was angry that someone could hurt such a little kid, but was also angry that this guy was ignoring the fact that he should be happy to have some to look after, not make him a burden.

The director stood up and shook Mike's hand. "We'll leave later." With that, he headed back to his office.

After the director left, Mikes turned towards his agent. "So Probie, you just going to sit there and pout like a little kid, or are you going to do something?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes at Franks' accusation but didn't deny it. "Like what, Mike?"

Franks shrugged. "I don't know, Probie. You could see if there is anyway to link this DiNozzo character to the Navy or Marines…" He let his sentence end, knowing that Gibbs would catch on.

Gibbs smiled, nodding. He understood what Mike was hinting at and started typing at his computer. He started a search on DiNozzo, trying to find a way to bring him down, so there is no way he wouldn't be punished.

Franks nodded in approval. He stood up and walked out of the bullpen to go any talk to someone.

Gibbs paused his typing to watch his boss walk away. He grumbled under his breath as he turned back to his computer. "Come on, DiNozzo, I know you've done something wrong, but what is it?" He muttered, never taking his eyes of the computer.

* * *

Four hours later, Gibbs jumped off his chair and gave a shout of excitement. Mike looked up from his desk and frowned.

"What's got you so excited Probie?" He asked.

Gibbs grinned as he snatched some freshly printed paper out of the printer. "I got him." He announced proudly while Mike took the sheets and glanced over them.

Mike looked up at his grinning agent. "Well, Probie? You gonna explain?"

Gibbs pointed at the papers. "Our friend Anthony DiNozzo senior here has been laundering money to different groups of people in the Navy. No-one has caught him yet, but I dug deeper into his bank statements and after a _very _detailed search over _everything _he has spent so much as a dine on, I caught him." Gibbs crossed his arms and grinned smugly. "All the evidence is right there in those papers."

Mike looked over the papers again before he gave a nod of approval. "Good Probie." He paused when the director came walking down. "Bring this up after we return." He added, joining the director.

Gibbs watched then walk away. "Wait! What about his crimes I found!" He called to his bosses, confused. After they left Gibbs sat down, grumbling angrily. Gibbs took the stack of papers and kept them on the corner of his desk. If he had to, Gibbs knew that he would start an investigation himself. He continued to grumble and turned to his computer.

* * *

Mike Franks and the director walked up with Miss Fielding to Anthony DiNozzo's door. Mike knocked and waited for an answer. After several minutes of waiting, the door finally peeked open.

"Hello?"

The director walked forward. "Is Anthony DiNozzo here?"

The door opened a little more. "Why?" The man asked warily.

Franks and the director glanced at each other before they both held up their badges. "I'm Director Tom Morrow and this is Special Agent Mike Franks. We are with NCIS." The director paused and motioned to Miss Fielding, who was standing behind the two agents. "And this is Miss Fielding, from CPS. CPS stands for-"

"I know what CPS stand for!" The man snapped. He got his composer back after taking a breath. "What does NCIS and CPS want with Mr. DiNozzo?"

The director took a deep breath. "Mr. DiNozzo, we know that is you. If you open the door we can explain."

DiNozzo hesitated several seconds before opening the door the rest of the way. "So what do you want?" He asked curtly.

Miss fielding stepped out from behind and spoke up. "There was a report filed against you for the possibility of child abuse and we are here to investigate to see if the charge is true."

Mr. DiNozzo smirked. "The charge must obviously be false." He said.

Franks spoke up. "And why is that?" He asked, trying to sound neutral. He could tell the man was lying and even though he wanted to defend his Probie, franks knew he could mention Gibbs' name.

DiNozzo flashed a charming grin. "I have no children, so how could I abuse one?"

Miss Fielding poke he read into the house and gave a quick look around. It gave no signs of children of any age living there, let alone a five year-old. It only should the signs of a bachelor living there. She looked back to the two agents and gave a slight shake of her head. Mike glared and Morrow put a hand on his shoulder, keeping his agent in check. She pulled back and stood on the porch.

"Mr. DiNozzo, I'm sorry we wasted your time." She said, holding her hand out as an apology.

DiNozzo flashed another smile and shook her hand. "All is forgiven, Miss Fielding. Have a nice day."

She nodded. "You too." The two agents followed her to the car, trying not to let any emotions show before they left.

As they drove away, Franks finally burst. "The nerve of him! He was lying through his teeth the whole time! To claim that Jethro is lying!"

Morrow turned to face him. "Mike, we all know that he is lying, but we can't do anything about unless we have proof."

Mike stopped short when he remembered what Gibbs told him earlier. He smirked and nodded. "Your right director. We need proof of some kind. And if I know Jethro, he won't stop until we have proof."

The director nodded in agreement, unsure why Franks agreed with his so suddenly. He shrugged and the rest of the way back to NCIS was quiet.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for how it ended, but I can assure you that it runs smoothly with the next chapter. Remember to review! They are always welcome! Have a great day! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Sorry this took a little longer. I can't wait for school to be over for the year. I will actually have some free time and can write without teachers breathing down my neck. So, thanks for all the reviews and follows!

**NCIS fan**: Senior's claim could be easily proved wrong, but I didn't want to get into all of that. Thanks for your concern! I do have someone I can talk too, and I have talked to him. It has helped, but I still got stuff to deal with before I know that I'm stress-free.

So we started the criminal law section in my Street Law class, and because I'm excited that I now understands the terms being used, I decided to add this chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

"What do you mean he claimed to have no children?!" Gibbs shouted. Franks and Morrow arrived back at the office and were currently informing Gibbs of the situation.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs, but because we had no proof that he had a child, CPS stopped the investigation." Morrow replied, hoping to find a way to somehow calm his agent.

Before Gibbs could retort, Mike jumped in. "There is no way an investigation can start unless there is _evidence, _Probie."

Gibbs stopped when he heard Mike. He smirked and nodded. He grabbed the papers he placed at the corner of his desk and handed them to the director. "This is your evidence, Director." He stated triumphantly.

Morrow took the papers and scanned through them. He looked up at Gibbs when he was finished. "When did you find all of this?"

"While you guys were out meeting our favorite friend." Gibbs answered, the words 'favorite friend' laced with sarcasm, malice, and hate.

Morrow nodded in approval. "Good work Agent Gibbs. Tomorrow we shall open an investigation." He gave the papers back to Gibbs and started towards his office.

Gibbs threw the papers at his desk and followed the director. "Tomorrow? Why not now?"

Morrow turned and faced him. "Gibbs, it's late. We will have better results and cooperation if we start it in the morning instead." He sighed and started back to his office. "Go home Gibbs. That's an order."

Gibbs stood at the base of the stairs and glared at his boss before turning back to his desk. Mike walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Probie, relax. We'll get him. You just have to be patient." Mike told him. Gibbs opened his mouth to argue, but he was cut off. "And don't tell me that the longer we wait the worst it is. I know that, Probie. He will be taken down though."

Gibbs sighed and shook his head, letting it hang. "I'm scared for the kid." He whispered.

Mike nodded. "I know. It's because you care." He smirked when Gibbs looked up at him, a slight look of surprise on his face. He's never heard his boss use such a soft tone before.

Mike patted him on the shoulder, urging him towards the elevator. "Now go home and rest. You won't being having much of that when Tony's living with you."

Gibbs nodded, not saying anything else. He was ticked that another night had to go by, but he also understood that things would go better in the morning. He sighed when he got into his truck and drove home. He didn't do anything but fell onto his couch and closed his eyes, letting his exhaustion overtake him.

* * *

Tony hid in the corner of his tiny bedroom when he heard his father talking to the people at the door. No-one ever came here and bothered him, but Tony knew that if someone did, it wasn't going to end well. He covered his face with his arms and pulled his legs up to his chest. He was tired and hurting. His eyes hurt from crying, but the tears never flowed because he would get in trouble if he cried. Tony flinched when he heard the door shut and heard his father's footsteps coming closer to the closed door of his room, or prison. Both titles fit in the young boy's mind. He flinched again when the light flashed on and the silhouette of his angry father stood before him. He whimpered quietly and pushed up against the wall, trying to disappear.

"Who did you talk to yesterday?" His father asked in a cold, but dangerously calm voice.

Tony shook his head profusely. "I-I don't know who he was. I s-swear." He stammered, shaking slightly.

Anthony smirked. "I know you're lying." He continued calmly. "You want to know why I know you're lying? Because I was just told that someone reported me for child abuse. The only person who could've had any notion that I was _punishing _you was that man you were talking to when you got out yesterday. So who was he?" He growled, his voice continually calm until his last question. His voice then rose into a scream as he clenched his fist.

Tony shrunk, trying to disappear. "Please!" He cried, trying not anger his father any more than he already was. "I don't know who he was! I wasn't trying to get you in trouble! Please don't hurt me!" He begged, the tears starting to flow from his eyes.

Anthony smirked. "You are a liar. You shouldn't even be called my son. You _aren't _my son, just some wimp left for me to watch." He turned on his heel and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Toy sat in the corner, trembling, but thankful that no physical harm was actually done. He was scared that it would just be worse next time, but he tried not to dwell on that thought as he quickly fell asleep, still huddle in the corner, praying for a savior.

* * *

Gibbs practically ran into the office the next morning to call a judge for a search warrant. He had beat Franks into work and waited impatiently for a few minutes before dialing numbers. By the time Franks walked in, Gibbs was fidgeting and pacing back and forth.

Mike sat down and looked over at him. "Would you sit still Probie!" He snapped. "What are fidgeting about anyways."

Before Gibbs could reply, an agent from legal walked over and handed him a paper. "Here ya go, Gibbs. Just came in."

As the agent walked away, Gibbs jumped up and started towards the director's office. "It's our ticket Franks!" He called, running up the stairs.

Mike stood up and followed him as quickly a he could. He walked into the director's office right as Gibbs was handing him the warrant.

"Director, this is a search warrant for Anthony DiNozzo's house for evidence of laundering money into the navy. We can leave now Director and get him!" Gibbs said, practically prancing in eagerness. He was tired of waiting and he wanted to get the monster. He knew that when he saw Tony, a silent promise was passed. It was a promise of a savior and of a rescue. He knew that the kid saw it, but he hated that it has taken this long to come to terms and actually rescue him.

After a minute of reviewing the warrant, which felt like hours to Gibbs, Morrow looked up at him and nodded. "Let's go."

Mike headed out of the office with Gibbs on his heals. "Grab your gear, Probie." He called as he headed to the garage.

The director and the two agents drove up to the house and walked up to the door. They held their hands above their guns while the director knocked on the door.

"NCIS! Anthony DiNozzo! We have a warrant to search your house! Open up!" Morrow shouted. He heard a slight scuffle and motioned for Mike and Gibbs to surround the house.

At the Director's command, the three men stormed into the house, looking for DiNozzo. After clearing the entrance, Morrow took the rest of the first floor, Mike took upstairs, and Gibbs ran into the basement. He threw the lights on and quickly looked around. He saw nobody, but heard a tiny whimper. Gibbs ran to the far wall and saw a door hidden in the corner.

He opened the door and looked in, gasping at the sight. Inside was a small blanket and a tiny plate sitting in the corner. The only light source was a dimly lit light bulb hanging low by a single wire. The long shadows casts made it hard for Gibbs to pinpoint where the whimpering was coming from, but he finally found the corner where a scared little boy was curled up and pressed as far back against the wall as he could get. Gibbs holstered his gun and knelt down on the floor. He crawled over to the boy who tried to shrink back even farther. He suppressed his anger against DiNozzo and had to stop himself from scooping the boy up and running away with him. He knew that to keep Tony calm, he ha to stay calm, quiet, and move as little as possible.

Gibbs reached a hand out and let it hang in the space between the two. "Tony." He whispered, trying not to scare the boy. "It's Jethro. I'm here to save you."

Tony whimpered again, but his eyes adjusted to the light and saw who was kneeling in front of him. When the door first opened, he thought it was his father, but then the finite kneeled down and crawled over. He wasn't sure who it was, but then he heard the voice whisper to him. _"Tony. It's Jethro. I'm here to save you." _

He whimpered again, but not out of fear this time. He was relieved that the man with kind eyes was here. He pushed himself towards the man and held onto him, sobbing as he was picked up.

Gibbs held tight to Tony, who was crying into his shoulder. Gibbs tightened his grip and stood up, taking Tony with him. "Come on, let's get out of here." He whispered into the boy's hair. Tony nodded, still crying in relief. He carried Tony out of his prison, freeing the boy at last.

* * *

He's free! Yay! Thanks for reading and remember to review!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: First, I apologize so much for not updating earlier! I've been trying to but the website hasn't been agreeing with me, then I was at camp all weekend (which was the best time I have had in a REALLY long time!) but I've gotten it to work now. Hopefully the length will make up for lost time. That was another reason it has been a while. I would keep writing and couldn't find a good place to stop. So, we are going into Criminal Law in my Street Law class, and I now understand why Gibbs has rule 13, and why they all dislike lawyers. Thanks for all the reviews guys! I'm really glad you all like this story so far. I'm going to be putting a new story up soon as well, so keep a look out for that one too! On with the story! **

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Gibbs carried Tony out of the basement and up into the kitchen of the house, where Mike and Morrow were waiting for him. Mike smiled when he saw the five year-old in Gibbs arms.

"Got him, Probie?"

Gibbs nodded and tightened his grip on Tony, who was starting to drift off to sleep after crying.

Morrow smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Good job. We'll send some agents after DiNozzo tomorrow. Right now, let's get this kid checked out."

Gibbs looked around. "He's not here?" He wasn't surprised. He probably took off after yesterday's visit. Gibbs didn't care what happened to DiNozzo, now that Tony was safe and in his arms. He hasn't held a child since his daughter, and she died almost a year ago. He forgot how good it felt to have someone that depended on him in his arms.

Tony fell asleep, finally feeling safe, and didn't stir until Gibbs woke him up when they parked at the navy yard. He looked around and noticed that he was still being relaxed and just watched everything, wanting to relish this feeling of comfort and care. He figured it wouldn't last, and sooner or later his father would have him. He suppressed a shiver at that thought and focused on watching everything. He saw two other men walking with Jethro and wondered who they were. He could feel Jethro occasionally adjust his grip on him, but never stopped or put him down. Tony could feel the protectiveness that Gibbs was showing him through his grip. He sighed and closed his eyes again, letting the motion of his savior walking lull him back to sleep.

Gibbs felt Tony stir and then later sigh. He could feel the boy practically relaxing the longer he was in his arms. Both Mike and Tom offered to take Tony so Gibbs could rest, but he refused. He finally had him in his arms and wasn't about to let him go. Gibbs smiled, thinking about how safe Tony was now. Even if they didn't have DiNozzo in custody, Tony was safe and away from him. That was all Gibbs could ask for.

They walked into the bullpen and Gibbs tried to sit Tony down in his chair without waking him up. As soon as Gibbs sat him down, Tony's eyes shot open and he grasped Gibbs' shirt in his fists. "No! Don't let me go!" he shouted, practically jumping at Gibbs. He buried his head in the man's shirt and started crying again.

Gibbs held onto Tony and rubbed his back gently. "It's okay. Shhh… I won't let you go. It's okay." He murmured into the boy's ear. He looked over at Franks and Morrow.

Franks smirked and shrugged. "Looks like someone likes you, Probie." He snickered.

Gibbs glared at him and turned towards Morrow. "Director?" He whispered.

Morrow smiled and grabbed Franks' desk phone. "I'll call Ducky."

Gibbs nodded and sat down, letting Tony rest in his lap. The boy's crying was now just sniffles and he was slowly falling back to sleep. Gibbs leaned back in his chair and continued rubbing Tony's back. He thought back to when he did this to Kelly whenever she couldn't sleep, and he felt a quick pang of sadness, but it disappeared when he turned his attention back to the boy asleep in his lap. He thought about what it would mean for him to take in Tony, and that it meant that he would be a father again.

"Hello, Jethro. Is this Tony?" A familiar voice asked.

Gibbs' thoughts were broken when Ducky walked into the bullpen, his medical bag in one hand, and a bag of treats in the other. Gibbs smiled and shifted, waking Tony up. The boy looked around, taking in his surroundings for the first time. He got a look of fear in his eyes and started shaking as he looked around wildly. His hand tightened on the clump of Gibbs' shirt and almost fell of the chair in fright.

Gibbs could feel Tony stiffen and start looking around in fear. He knew that since he was asleep when they arrived, he didn't know where he was. Gibbs started rubbing his back again and put his other hand on Tony's arm. "Tony, it's okay. Your safe, remember?" He whispered, protectively wrapping his arms around the small boy.

Tony felt Gibbs' arms wrap around him and he started to relax. He remembered Gibbs promising to keep him safe. He never said it aloud, but his eyes said it all. Tony needed a savior and Gibbs provided it. He looked around again, calmer than before. He noticed another man standing in front of them, holding two bags. He swallowed nervously and turned back to Gibbs, looking into his eyes and seeing the kindness that was there when he first saw him.

Gibbs picked up Tony and walked over to Ducky. "Tony, this is Doctor Donald Mallard. Everyone here calls here calls him Ducky." He looked over at his friend and smiled."Can you say hi?" He tried to coax him to talk. He has only talked twice in the time that Gibbs has been around him, and he wanted to try to change that.

Ducky set both bags on the ground and walked closer, smiling. "Hello Tony, I'm Ducky."

Tony gave him a small smile. "Hello." He said quietly. He turned to Gibbs and whispered in his ear. "He sounds funny."

Gibbs laughed and nodded. "Yeah, he sounds funny 'cause he isn't from here." He smiled at the look of shock on the boy's face. He gave him a confused look, urging Gibbs to explain. "He is from a far away place called Scotland. That is how they sound when they talk."

Tony looked back at Ducky with wide eyes. He held onto Gibbs, but didn't seemed to be terrified any more. Ducky smiled at him and picked up his medical bag.

"Tony, do you mind if I look you over for any injuries?" Ducky asked.

Tony looked back at Gibbs, who nodded. "I'll be right here, nothing will happen." He promised.

The boy turned back to the doctor. "Okay." He said in a small voice.

Gibbs knelt down and let go of Tony. He was greeted with a flash of fear passing over the boy's face, but let go of Gibbs nonetheless. Gibbs placed a hand on Tony's shoulder. "I'll be right next you okay?"

Tony nodded and turned to Ducky, who kneeled down in front of him.

Ducky reached forward and started to unbutton Tony's shirt. "I have to take your shirt off and take pictures before I do anything. Is that okay, Tony?" He asked.

Tony looked back to Gibbs who nodded encouragingly. Gibbs felt honored that the boy was trusting him with decisions and knew that no matter what, the two of them had a bond that couldn't be broken. He watched as Ducky took out his camera and started taking pictures of all of Tony's injuries. He flinched at all the bruises and scars on the small boy. Gibbs vowed to never let anything like that happen to him again.

Ducky finished with the pictures for the case file and started treating Tony's injuries. Most of them were old and were just bruises, but he still applied medication to help them heal.

Tony flinched when Ducky started touching his chest and back, but relaxed when he felt Gibbs' hand on his shoulder, soothing him. When Ducky was done and put Tony's shirt back on him, the boy turned to Gibbs.

Gibbs picked Tony back up and went to his desk and sat down with him on his lap. "Are you hungry, Tony?" He asked.

Tony nodded his head, wanting to say that he hasn't had anything to eat in a couple days, but he was too scared too. He let Gibbs hold him while they stood up. He didn't know anyone here but Jethro and Ducky and he felt safe when Jethro held him. He knew that when he was in his arms, no-one could hurt him. Tony laid his head on the agent's shoulder and let him be carried into the break room where there was food.

Gibbs figured that Tony hadn't been allowed to have a lot of food when he was with his father, so he didn't know how much food Tony would want. Gibbs walked over to the table and set the boy down in the chair. Tony gave a squeak of surprise to being let go of, and Gibbs knelt down in front of him. "I have to use two hands to get your food together. I'll be right over there, so don't worry okay, Tony?" He said, standing back up. He went to the fridge and found some cold chinese food and pizza. He inwardly sighed, but grabbed it all anyways. Gibbs turned and looked back at the five year-old who was fidgeting nervously in his seat. He knew it would take a long time for him to be able to relax and not always be in fear, but it pained him to watched Tony go through all of this. He turned back to the now warmed-up food and brought it over. "This is all there was in the fridge, but when we go home, I'll make you some real good food." He said as he divided the food onto two plates and handed one over to the boy.

Tony took the plate and slowly ate the leftover take-out. He didn't care what the food was, he was just glad to be allowed to eat. He was quiet the whole time, eating everything on his plate.

Gibbs watched Tony eat the food. He wasn't hungry, so he only took a couple bites in case Tony would still be hungry. He saw that as the boy ate, he seemed to relax and looked almost..content. Gibbs smiled and reached over to gently ruffle his hair. "How are you feeling, Tony?" He asked when the boy's plate was empty. He hoped that Tony would actually speak to him and not just one or two-word answers to questions.

Tony moved at the initial touch of Gibbs ruffling his hair. He relaxed again and gave a small smile. "I'm better now." He said, louder than when he last spoke. He wasn't used to talking to people. His father always yelled at him when he would try to talk, so he would just talk to himself when he was alone. Sometimes he made imaginary friends to have conversations with, but never with other people. He felt awkward when he would talk to Jethro, but he would see the kindness in his eyes and relax again. That's what he saw now when he stared into the man's blue eyes. He saw kindness and true concern for him. It gave Tony the confidence to keep talking. "Can I have some more to eat?" He asked and held out his plate.

Gibbs nodded and just traded plates. "I'm not hungry, just eat mine."

Tony gave another small smile. "Okay." He took a couple bites before looking up at his savior again. "J-Jethro, where am I going to go now?" He asked in a timid voice.

Gibbs smiled when he heard Tony use his name for the first time. He scooted over and scooped the little boy into a hug. "When we finish some paperwork here, you're coming home with me." He looked down at the boy who was now in his lap and leaning back against his chest. "Would you like that Tony? To come home and live with me?" He realized it would be a good thing to ask, rather than just assume that he would be in charge of Tony.

Tony looked up at Gibbs and gave an actual smile. "Yes. I would like to come home with you."

Gibbs grinned when he heard Tony's answer. He leaned down next to the boy's ear and whispered. "Good, because that was where everyone guessed you would end up." With that, he gently tickled Tony's sides, almost shouting with joy when he heard the little boy giggle. Gibbs swiftly set Tony back down in his own seat. "Finish eating and when you are done, we'll go back to my desk. Then we can go home."

Tony nodded and started eating again, glad that he was going to be with Jethro. He felt safe around him so it was the only place he wanted to be. He finished eating and looked up at the older man. "I'm done."

Gibbs grabbed his plate and threw it away. He picked Tony up again and headed back to the bullpen. When they got to Gibb's desk, he noticed that Ducky was still there but was joined with Mike and Tom.

Mike smirked when he saw Tony in Gibbs' arms. "I see that you've been working hard, Probie." He teased, knowing full well that in everyone's eyes that Tony came first to legal stuff.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and turned to Tony. "Tony, let me introduce you to my friends. This is my boss, Mike Franks." He pointed to Mike, who nodded to the boy. "This is mine and Mike's boss, Director Tom Morrow. He is in charge of everyone here." He pointed to Tom now, who smiled. "And you have already met Ducky."

Ducky smiled and reached into the second bag he had brought up with him. "I forgot to give this to you earlier Tony." He handed the boy a small teddy bear and a small bag of candy.

Tony held the candy and teddy bear and smiled at Ducky. "Thank-you." He said before looking in the bag of candy.

Gibbs saw him looking through to eat some and grabbed the bag. "After supper tonight you can have some, okay?" He said.

Tony nodded. "Okay Jethro."

Gibbs smiled and nodded. "Good." He turned back to the other adults. "Has CPS been contacted yet?"

Tom nodded. "Miss Fielding is on her way as we speak. Gibbs, don't be mad at her. She wasn't allowed to do anything without visible proof in the house and from the view she had from the doorway, there was none." He reminded him.

Gibbs rolled his eyes but nodded. "Fine. Is she bringing the rest of the paperwork with her.?" He asked worriedly. He had decided to bypass the fostering portion and decided to try and adopt Tony right away. While everyone else was running around looking for ways to bring DiNozzo down, Gibbs was going through the adoption process. He just needed to fill out the last of the papers today and he would be able to legally adopt Tony.

Tom smiled and nodded. "Yes. She is bringing the rest of the adoption papers with her today. Don't worry Gibbs. Everything will be fine. Let us worry about that." He looked down at Tony, who was starting to fall back asleep in Gibb's lap. "You just worry about taking care of him."

Gibbs nodded. "Thanks Tom."

They all sat in the bullpen, talking about anything and everything while they waited for Miss Fielding to show up. Finally they heard the ping of the elevator doors and heard the clicking of heels against the floor. Ducky smiled when Miss Fielding joined them.

"Good afternoon, Miss Fielding." He greeted her, while everyone else nodded.

She smiled at them and turned to see Gibbs sitting in his chair, holding a sleeping child in his lap. "Is this him?" She asked in a slight whisper.

Gibbs nodded. "This is Tony DiNozzo, five years old and finally free from the hell he has been in his whole life." He shifted in his chair and the movement cause Tony to wake up. He yawned and looked around. His gaze rested on the only stranger in the room and his breath quickened slightly.

Gibbs felt Tony tense up and he started rubbing the boy's back. He found that it relaxes and soothes him when he gets worked up. He felt Tony relax and then relaxed himself. He looked down at him. "Tony, this is Miss Fielding. She is going to help us make sure that you can live with me." He explained.

Tony nodded and looked back to Miss Fielding. "Hello." He said quietly before turning back to Gibbs. "When are we going to go home?"

Gibbs smiled. "Once we are done with the paperwork that Miss Fielding has, we will go home."

Miss Fielding smiled when she watched the interaction between the agent and young boy. When Tony's attention was back to her, she smiled at him. "Hi Tony." she said. "You can call me Sheila."

Tony nodded and leaned against Gibbs. He held on when Gibbs stood up from his chair. "How about we go to the conference room?" Gibbs suggested.

Tom nodded. "Agreed. Mike, Ducky, you can join us if you like." He added over his shoulder when they started walking upstairs. The two followed them and everyone sat down when they were in the conference room with the door shut.

Once everyone was comfortable, Tom spoke. "Miss Fielding, we currently have the paperwork and photos to prove that Anthony DiNozzo is guilty of child abuse. We also have a warrant for his arrest out right now for laundering money through the Navy. That leaves his son, Anthony DiNozzo Junior, without a guardian. As you know, Agent Gibbs is more that willing to take on the role and we are just waiting for the papers you brought with you to finalize everything." Mike, Ducky, and Gibbs nodded in agreement with everything the director said. At the mention of Gibbs adopting Tony, he tightened his grip on the boy slightly. He held Tony on his lap, giving them both the comfort they desperately needed.

Sheila nodded and passed some papers across the table. "These are the adoption papers. Normally it would be at least a month before we would actually have the papers signed, but because of the circumstances and that we have someone willing to adopt right away...we pressed the matter and sped up the process. We just need Agent Gibbs to sign, and in this case, his boss too."

Gibbs let go of Tony with one hand and signed the papers before passes them over to Tom. They watched Tom signed the papers and hand them over to Sheila. Gibbs leaned down and whispered into the boy's ear, making him giggle quietly. Gibbs grinned at the sound and gently ruffled his hair.

Sheila watched the interaction between Agent Gibbs and Tony. She knew that Gibbs lost his family about a year ago, and neither had anyone in their lives. She knew that they needed each other and that there was nothing to worry about with how Tony would adjust and how Gibbs would handle being a father. She could tell that they were a perfect match. She took the papers from Director Morrow and smiled.

"Thank-you." She said as she put the papers back in her bag. She smiled and stood up, shaking both Tom's hand then Franks. She was going to shake Gibbs', but stopped when he held Tony with both of his hands. "Everything will be finalized by tomorrow morning, Agent Gibbs, but because of the situation, I believe it is okay that Tony stays with you tonight instead of joining you tomorrow."

Gibbs smiled and nodded his thanks. Tony, who was relaxed throughout the whole conversation, suddenly sat up straight and went stiff. "Y-you w-were going to t-take me a-away?" He asked, starting to gasp for breath as his eyes filled with fear.

Gibbs set Tony on the ground before taking him in a big hug. "I will never let anyone take you away again." He whispered in the boy's ear. He pulled away slightly and saw that, though Tony nodded in acknowledgement of his promise, he still had tears in his eyes. Gibbs pulled him close to his chest and rubbed the five year-old's back.

Tony gripped Gibbs' shirt in his tiny fists and rested his he's against the older man's chest. He tried to hold in the tears that were threatening to break, but after everything that has been happening, he once again sobbed into his savior's chest.

Sheila Fielding watched the scene in front of her, until Morrow motioned for her to exit the room. "Thank-you for all of you help with this, Miss Fielding. I'll expect a call from you when everything is finalized." He told her as they walked towards the elevator.

She nodded and then left for the night, leaving the agents with the sobbing child.

Once she was gone, and everyone else had left to give them some privacy, Gibbs was able to calm Tony enough so that he was only occasionally sniffing.

Tony rubbed his eyes and a tired fashion and sniffed. "Sorry." He mumbled, his eyes on the floor.

Gibbs gave him another hug, something he found himself doing more and starting to enjoy. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Tony. You won't get in trouble for crying." He assured him.

Tony looked up into those piercing blue eyes that held so much concern for the young boy. "DiNozzo's' don't cry." He muttered, hanging his head.

Gibbs shook his head and picked the boy up, carrying him back to the bullpen. "Well you can cry whenever you want." He whispered into his ear. Tony sighed and laid his head on Gibbs' shoulder, wrapping his tiny arms around the older man.

Gibbs smiled and patted the child's back comfortingly. Once he was back at his desk, Gibbs grabbed his bag and nodded to Mike and Tom, knowing that Ducky had already left. His bosses nodded back at him and he walked out, still carrying Tony. "Come on, let's go home." He whispered, walking out to his car.

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**A/N: Remember to review! I'm writing the next chapter as we speak, so hopefully I'll get it done and up soon! Have a great day! -Drew**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, don't kill me for taking this long to put this chapter up! I've had a lot of stuff to deal with lately and this hasn't really been top priority... anyways, here is the next chapter, and to anyone who has been to Winter Jam this year: Isn't it amazing? This has been, in my opinion, one of the best line-ups and performances they have done! Especially with both Skillet and Jeremy Camp! Enjoy the chapter!**

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Gibbs opened the door and carried the sleeping child inside. Tony had fallen asleep on the car ride, occasionally whimpering and twitching. Gibbs had watched while he drove home and wondered what he was dreaming about. Hearing the boy whimper and twitch again, Gibbs had the same thought. He laid him down on the couch and went into the kitchen to look for some food. He sighed when he saw the only thing he had in there were a couple of uncooked steaks. He pulled one out and started a fire in his fireplace. He waited for the fire to become hot enough and then threw the steak in on top. He remembered how much Kelly loved when he made steaks so he figured that it wouldn't hurt to make them for Tony.

Gibbs turned his attention away from the steaks and fire and looked over at his son. He paused and smiled slightly when he thought about that. A week ago, he was all alone, still struggling after his family was taken away from him. Now, he had bond with someone who needed him as much as he needed the child, and he was a father again. Gibbs watched as Tony slept on the couch, the steady rise and fall of his chest calming Gibbs, knowing that Tony's life would finally be one that he deserved, and not a life that would eventually ruin him.

Hearing the sizzling of the steaks over the fire, Gibbs was brought from his thoughts and focused on making supper for the two of them. He checked to make sure the steak was cooked before he took it off the fire and brought it to the kitchen. He divided the steak onto two plates, giving Tony more than him. After setting everything up at the kitchen, Gibbs walked back into the living room to wake up Tony for supper. He turned towards the couch and saw the small boy sitting up, looking around. Gibbs watched his face go from a sleepy and confused to downfallen and disappointed. Tony started sniffing and Gibbs could see his shoulders shaking as he started to cry. Gibbs took that as a cue to cut in.

"Hey Bud, what's wrong?" He asked, sitting on the couch, tentatively putting his arm around his son's shoulders.

Tony looked up at his saviour, staring into his piercing blue eyes. Tony gave a small smile and wrapped his arms around Jethro's waist. He buried his head into the older man's chest and mumbled. "I thought it was a dream and then you walked in here."

Gibbs wrapped his arms around the boy, but didn't say anything. He was shocked by what he just heard. Not only did Tony smile and hug him, which was a _huge_ step forward in his eyes, but he actually talked to him! He turned his attention back to Tony when he realised the 5 year-old was talking again, still mumbling into his chest.

"I woke up and I was alone, and...and I thought that it was all a dream and you didn't really rescue me. But it wasn't a dream." He finished with a sigh of contentment. He wrapped his arms tighter around Gibbs and closed his eyes, snuggling into his chest.

Gibbs held Tony in his arms, watching as his son quickly fell into a peaceful sleep again. Gibbs decided to forgo dinner and just rest on the couch. He looked down at his sleeping son and kissed his forehead. He rested his head on Tony's and whispered in his ear. "None of this has been a dream, Tony. And I will _never_ leave you. That - is a promise." He closed his eyes and gave a sigh of relief.

A couple of minutes later, Gibbs felt Tony stir on his lap. He knew that the boy wouldn't sleep long since that was all he has done since Gibbs brought him home. He held Tony tight and stood up, carrying him to the kitchen. He gently sat him down on a chair and slightly shook the boy's shoulders. "Tony." He whispered. "Tony, it's time to wake up and eat some supper."

Tony laid his head on the table and sighed in his sleep. He had a miniscule smile on his face as he contently rested. Gibbs shook his head and chuckled. He shook Tony's shoulders again, trying to wake him up. "Tony, come on Kiddo." He paused when Tony squirmed and gave a yawn. Gibbs leaned closer to his son's ear and whispered. "Tony...Tony, I made steak for us. Would you like some steak for supper?" He coaxed, brushing Tony's hair out of his face, letting his hand rest on top of the 5 year-old's head.

Tony slowly opened one eye and looked up at him. The boy smiled and jumped into Gibbs arms. He wrapped his tiny arms around the older man's chest and snuggled his head in the crook of Gibbs' neck. "I don't want steak, Jethro." He mumbled.

Gibbs chuckled and walked over his chair and sat down, pulling Tony away just enough to see his face. "And what _do_ you want, Kiddo?" He asked, smiling.

Tony leaned up and hugged his neck again. "Just to be with you." The boy whispered before snuggling against Gibbs.

Gibbs hugged Tony, too shocked to speak. He glanced down at his son, and smiled. He never expected for Tony to be this open and comfortable so soon. He figured he must just be in shock and hasn't processed everything that has happened so far. He mentally shrugged but then noticed that Tony had fallen asleep again. He gave up on trying to get Tony to eat and just let him sleep. Gibbs stood up and carried Tony to his bedroom. The guest room wasn't ready for a five year-old to sleep in, so he was planning on sleeping either on the couch or the floor next to the bed. Gibbs laid him down and covered him up with the blankets. He watched as a look of peace crossed the boy's face as he snuggled into the blankets, drifting off into a world of his own. Gibbs sat on the edge of the bed, and watched him sleep, a smiled on his own face.

After several minutes, Gibbs yawned and decided to go to bed. He knew that the search for DiNozzo Senior was starting in the morning and he wanted to be part of it. Gibbs grabbed a spare pillow and blanket and took his place on the floor, next to the bed. He closed his eyes and sighed. For the first night in a very long time, Gibbs fell asleep with a smile.

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I have written other chapters, so there won't be as long of a wait for chapter 7. I hoped you enjoyed it, and remember to review! Have a great day! -Drew


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long! The curse of writer's block is strong and fights me every time I try to start writing. I hope everyone had a happy Easter! I want to say thanks to croazione for the review! I'm glad this is currently one of your favorite stories and you love it! Here's the next chapter everybody!**

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Gibbs checked his watch as he rushed off the elevator and over to his desk. He has Tony in his arms and attempting to carrying everything himself. He looked over to see Mike watching him, a smirk on his face. Gibbs rolled his eyes and dropped everything but Tony onto his desk. "Shut it, Franks. I don't have time to hear it right now. I need to find someone to watch Tony while we are out look for Senior." He growled.

"About that," a voice said, causing Gibbs and Franks to look up. Tom Morrow walked into the bull pen with Ducky following. "Doctor, can you bring Tony to the conference room so we can talk?" He asked.

Ducky nodded and walked over to where Tony was sitting. "Come along dear Anthony. Let's go play in the conference room." He held his hand out towards the boy waiting for him.

Tony looked up at Gibbs, who smiled and nodded in approval and reassurance. Tony gulped and shakily stood up. He hesitated a second before reaching out and taking hold of Ducky's outstretched hand. Ducky smiled at him and led the two of them upstairs and out of earshot.

Tom waited until the pair was gone before he turned to Gibbs. "You're staying here." He said.

Gibbs jumped up and glared at him. "What do you mean 'staying here'?" He asked. "I deserve to go!"

Tom nodded. "You do deserve to go, but since you are legally Tony's father, we can't have you involved for the boy's safety." He looked over at Mike for back up.

Mike just shrugged and became focused on making sure his gun was working, leaving this argument to the Director.

Tom glared at his friend and turned back to Gibbs who was trying, unsuccessfully, to stay calm. "We can't have to chance of DiNozzo senior learning that Tony is your son now."

Gibbs snorted and glared. "He already knows I'm involved! He talked to me and knows my name for Christ's sake! It doesn't take a genius to put together that after meeting me he is investigated and his son is taken from him!" He shouted. Gibbs opened his mouth to say more, but closed it when a thought dawned on him. "Wait, you said Tony was my son and I'm legally his father?" He asked, his voice quiet and cautiously calm.

Tom and Mike glanced at each other before Tom answered. "Yep. The paperwork came through to my desk this morning before you came." He patted his friend's shoulder. "Congratulations Gibbs. You're a father."

Gibbs nodded, stunned that he was legally a father again. He couldn't believe it, but it didn't cover the fact of the argument going on. He glared again and crossed his arms. "That's all the more reason for me to go on this raid and arrest the bastard!" He growled.

Before Tom could reply, Mike came up and gave Gibbs a head-slap. "Shut it Probie!" He growled at the younger agent. He turned to Tom and shrugged. "He does have a point though, Morrow." He added.

Gibbs smirked and nodded. "See! Franks agrees!" He added.

Tom threw his hands in the air and shook his head. "Fine! But if it comes to a firefight or anything too dangerous you're being yanked. You have a kid to think about now, got it?" He asked.

Gibbs nodded. "Yes sir."

Tom gave a nod of approval. "Okay, now gear up, we have a monster to arrest."

He walked away, muttering while the two agents grabbed their guns and went to get some vests.

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Several black sedans and SUV's pulled up and surrounded the DiNozzo household. The day before, they left everything in the house as bait and left someone to watch to see when the man in question would return for his business. DiNozzo does everything from the comfort of his home and when NCIS stormed his house he fled in surprise, leaving everything behind.

Gibbs was just finishing putting a vest on when Tom poked his head into the car. "We just got confirmation. DiNozzo is in his study, either trying to get rid of evidence or grabbing as much as he can before he flees. You ready?" He asked.

Gibbs checked to make sure his gun was loaded before looking up at the director. "Yep. Let's get him." He growled, putting an earpiece in as we stepped out of the car. Gibbs looked around at the mass of agents and gave a small smile. _There is _no _way the he is gonna get out of here._ He thought as he walked over to where Mike Franks is standing.

Franks looked at him and smirked. "Ready Probie?"

Gibbs grinned and nodded. "Yep."

Franks nodded and looked at the Director for permission to go.

Morrow nodded and when he had everyone's attention, he divided them into two groups to surround the house. Gibbs and Franks were in Tom's group and were to enter through the front and right side of the house while the other half were to enter through the back and left side of the house, surrounding it completely, leaving no way out. All the agents had earpieces and radios to communicate. As everyone dispersed around, guns drawn, ready for any surprises.

Gibbs followed Tom and stood at the front door, across from Franks. He looked at his boss who gave a nod, saying "Good luck," silently. Both agents looked over at Tom who nodded at them before speaking into his earpiece.

"Alright everybody, you know the drill. Find DiNozzo and take him down. Let's go."

At that signal, every agent jumped into action and stormed the house. They busted the doors down, broke the windows and blocked every exit they could find. After counting to three, Morrow busted down the door and led the trio of him, Franks and Gibbs into the house. They searched the front room first, clearing it before moving deeper into the house. They separated, Franks moving through the kitchen, Tom moving upstairs with a few agents following him, and Gibbs moved to the basement.

Gibbs held his gun, up and ready to shoot if he had too. He turned the lights on and followed the same path he took the day before when he found Tony. He looked in every possible place before resigning and going back upstairs to help look. As he walked up the stairs, Gibbs heard some shouts and what sounded like a small scuffle then running feet. He was about to open the door that led upstairs when it burst open and a figure flew down towards the waiting agent. Gibbs held his gun up, stopping the man in his tracks.

"NCIS, freeze!" He shouted, not moving as he aimed his gun. Gibbs's eye adjusted to the mix of light and dark to see that he was staring face-to-face with Anthony DiNozzo Sr. He silently pushed DiNozzo back up into the kitchen before holstering his weapon. Without a word, Gibbs walked up to the man and punched him in the nose, inwardly smiling at the feeling and sound of the older man's nose crunching under his fist. The force of his punch threw DiNozzo onto the floor, stunned.

Gibbs didn't wait for a reaction from Franks or Morrow. He turned and silently walked out to the car, waiting to go and see his son.

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**A/N: There ya go everybody! Remember to review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry for the wait guys. Prom was this past weekend and it was great! I've been working and counting down the days till summer. (30 exactly) I've gotten a little farther ahead, which is another reason it's been a bit, but I hope's it worth it. I appreciate the response from y'all with every chapter! Seeing all the emails really brightens my days, and you guys have no idea how much it helps right now. Now, enough about me, so here's the next chapter!**

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Gibbs sat in the conference room back at headquarters and waited for Morrow. After DiNozzo was arrested and took to holding, Gibbs spent his time with Tony in the bull pen. That is, until he was called up to the conference room by the director's assistant.

He sighed and closed his eyes, wishing Tony was on his lap. That five year-old could make him smile at almost any time, and right now he really needed to smile. He relaxed in his chair as he waited on his impending doom, and actually chuckled. He didn't care what happened to him, he was just happy that he could cause DiNozzo just a fraction of the pain he inflicted on that little boy.

The door to the conference room was yanked open, causing Gibbs to jump in his seat. He watched as Tom walked in, holding a small file. The director looked at him and shook his head.

"Gibbs, what are we going to do with you?" He asked, half to himself. He threw the file towards Gibbs, who in turn opened it and started to read it.

Gibbs looked up at the director and smirked. "He filed a complaint?"

Morrow snorted. "You broke his nose!" He exclaimed, laughing.

Gibbs shrugged and sat back, crossing his arms. "He deserved it. He deserves a lot more than just a broken nose, Tom." Gibbs answered.

Tom nodded and sat down across for his agent. "I agree, but that doesn't give you the right to punch him."

Gibbs nodded in agreement. "I know." He paused and smirked. "But I don't care."

Tom chuckled. "Yeah, I figured." He pulled out a single paper and slid it over to Gibbs. "That is why I need you to sign this."

Gibbs looked at the paper suspiciously. "What is it?" He asked cautiously.

"It's a statement saying that he provoked you into punching him in the face. If DiNozzo really decides to try and go through with this complaint, then we can use this, and we have several witness that state that he started it." Tom said with a smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

Gibbs chuckled and signed the paper. "Oh Director, you sure know how to keep your agents out of trouble." He said, smirking.

"Well, when they act like high schoolers looking to fight everyone, yeah, I'd say I do a pretty good job." Tom jabbed back as Gibbs gave him a cocky grin. Tom shook his head, chuckling as well and grabbed the paper. "Alright Gibbs, I've punished you enough. Get back to your son." He said, holding the door of the conference room open.

Gibbs jumped up and walked out the door, followed by Tom. He walked to the edge of the stairs, but was stopped.

"Oh, and once you get Tony, take off. I'm giving you two months leave to get settled with Tony. Adopting a five year-old is going to result in changes, so I expect you to do that." Tom said, patting him on the shoulder.

Gibbs nodded and smiled. "Will do Director, will do." He said, before practically running down into the bull pen. He rushed past Mike, who was finishing some work at his desk, and looked around. "Where's -"

"They're in the break room grabbing some snacks for everyone." Mike interrupted, not even looking up from what he was writing.

Gibbs nodded and sat down at his desk to gather all his things together while he waited for Tony and Ducky to arrive. He couldn't wait to take Tony back home and spend two months doing nothing but bonding with the child. Gibbs just turned off his computer when Ducky led a bouncing Tony back into the bull pen.

Tony saw Gibbs sitting back at his desk and he grinned, his eyes lighting up. "Jethro!" The boy squealed, abandoning both Ducky's hand and the snacks the pair brought back, and he ran to Gibbs and jumped into the man's lap and hugged him.

Gibbs laughed and hugged his son. "Hey, buddy. Did you have fun with Ducky?" He asked. Gibbs couldn't help but smile at how well Tony looked to be doing. He seemed like a completely different kid than the one he took out of that house yesterday. The five year-old was boisterous, grinning, and even laughing at some things. Gibbs brought his attention back to the person in question, who was talking about all the things the he and Ducky did.

"We went around and had a tour of the building. Ducky even showed me the van with the loud sirens! He let me press the button that turned them on, then he turned them off quickly, because he said it was too loud and would distract people. After that, he took me to where he works! It was so cool!" Tony explained, becoming more animated with each passing word.

At the mention of Ducky's workplace, Gibbs looked over the boy's bouncing head and lifted an eyebrow at Ducky.

Ducky held his hands up in defense. "I didn't bring young Anthony to _my_ workplace, I brought him to the forensic labs and said that I _sometimes_ work there. I wouldn't dare bring a child down to autopsy, Jethro."

Gibbs shrugged and hugged Tony again. "Just making sure, Duck." He looked down at his son and smiled. "Alright Tony, Tom over there kicked us out for two months. Are you ready to go home?"

Tony nodded but looked over at Tom. "Why do he kick us out?" He asked.

Gibbs laughed at the loon on Tom's face and the smirk on both Mike and Ducky's faces. He looked back at the young boy on his lap and chuckled. "He didn't really kick us out, Tony. Tom is my boss, and told me that I need to take two months off from work. Since you are my son now, we need to get settled at home." He gently ruffled the boy's hair. "I was joking about the kicking out part, buddy."

Tom nodded and walked over to Gibbs's desk. "Yeah Tony, I wouldn't kick you guys out. I like you guys too much."

Mike laughed and shook his head. "More like you like Tony too much, Morrow."

Tom nodded in agreement with Mike. "I think you're right, Franks. I like Tony too much to kick the two of them out."

Tony watched the banter between the adults while he say on Gibbs's lap, unsure what to do himself. He saw how relaxed everyone was even with how they were talking about each other and he didn't understand why they were okay with it. Whenever his father said something like that, he was normally yelling at Tony and talking about his clients, and his father never liked any of his clients. Tony tried to relax like everyone else though. He liked these men, and even though he just met them all, except for Jethro of course, but he wanted to like all of them. They all had the same kind eyes that Jethro does, but he liked Jethro's the best.

Ducky saw that while the men went back and forth in their banter, Tony became very quiet and what seemed to be lost in thought. He could see the exhaustion in the child's eyes and decided to indicate that it was time to go. Ducky cleared his throat and stood up, patting Gibbs on the shoulder. "Well gentlemen, we have had an eventful day, and I believe it is time for me to depart." He knelt down in front of Tony and gently patted the boy's arm. "Good bye, Anthony. I will see you later."

Tony gave a small smile as Ducky stood up again and even gave the older man a small wave. "Bye Ducky. I had a good time with you today." He quietly said.

Ducky smiled and waved at everyone. "Thank-you Anthony. Good bye everyone." With 'good byes called after him, Ducky left via the elevator to head home for the night.

After Ducky, Mike followed, bidding his goodbyes and a rare smile that was sent Tony's way on his way out. Once Mike left, only Tom, Gibbs, and Tony were in the bullpen.

Tom watched as Tony curled up in Gibbs lap and look content to stay there as he slowly started to fall asleep. Gibbs even more so as he wrapped his arms protectively around the child, securing him there. Gibbs noticed Tom staring with a smirk on his face.

"What now Tom?" Gibbs asked.

Tom shook his head. "Nothing, just how different you look from the man I hired." He paused and chuckled. "That boy has change us all in just a matter of two days, Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded. "I know. Ducky was out of autopsy all day and Franks smiled. Franks smiling is a miracle in itself." He joked. Gibbs looked down at the half-sleeping figure on his lap, and smiled. Everyone had change in two days, when Gibbs was changed as soon as he met Tony. How it seemed that only a week and a half ago, his life was completely different than it is now.

"I wonder what he'll eventually call us all." Tim's musing broke Gibbs from his thoughts.

Gibbs looked up at his boss and friend and raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

Tom shook his head and shrugged. "Nothing, just wondering if we'll all get nicknames. With you as his father, Gibbs, he has a ton of family now."

Gibbs nodded. "I guess you're right. And who knows what you'll be called." He pause and smirked. "I could always give Tony a few examples and ideas."

Tom snorted and shook his head. "No, think he'll do just fine on his own with that." He checked his watch and stood up. "Go and get that boy to bed, Gibbs. He's obviously tired."

Gibbs looked down at Tony, who was actually sleeping and chuckled. "I guess you're right Tom. I'll see ya later then." He said as he moved the sleeping child to rest on his hip and side, while he grabbed his bag with his free hand. Gibbs shook Tom's hand while they both moved to the elevator.

"See you, Gibbs. You know, when the two of you get settled, you should have a get-together at your house. A cookout or something." Tom suggested as Gibbs stepped into the elevator.

Gibbs nodded. "I'll think about it and let you. See you."

Tom waved as the doors shut with a _ding_.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! Remember to R&amp;R! -Drew**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry that this one is short. I have more chapters that are being written, but my phone was just broke and I'm now having some more troubles at home, on top of military training (which is really fun by the way!) Anyways, I wanted to point out that I try to keep errors to a minimum, but sometimes they slip by. So here's the next chapter!**

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Gibbs carried a sleeping Tony into the house and he gently shut the door, waiting to hear the _click_ of the lock before moving forward to Tony's new room. As soon as this whole case had started and the prospect that Gibbs could become a father again, he started small remodels. The first thing he did was change his daughter's room into a boy's room. The color of the walls is different and all of his daughter's things are packed up, but other than that, the only changes were the bed sheets. Gibbs had no idea what Tony would like, so he went with the basics and bought some sports themed sheets. Now, as he laid the five year-old down and changed him into his pajamas, he looked back at how ready he was to be responsible for someone again. He felt even better knowing that he saved an innocent life in the process.

Once Gibbs had Tony settled, he headed downstairs to find some supper. Gibbs opened the fridge and sighed. With no-one but himself, Gibbs never had any reason to keep his fridge stocked, but now he needed to go out and actually buy real food. Gibbs grabbed a container of leftovers from a couple days ago and went to heat it up.

As he sat at the table, waiting for the microwave to go off, Gibbs froze when he heard a scream coming from upstairs. He took off sprinting up the stairs and to Tony's room. He burst through the door and found Tony screaming and thrashing around in his bed, getting tangled in his sheets. The more he thrashed around in his sleep, the more tangled he got, and the more frantic he became in his nightmare. Gibbs rushed over to the side of the bed and laid a hand on the boy's shoulders, trying to hold him down.

"Tony! Tony, wake up! Tony!" He called, over and over again, trying to wake him and pull him out of his nightmare. Tony stopped thrashing but still had his eyes shut tight, whimpering and moving his head back and forth, as if trying to erase a bad memory, Gibbs took one hand off Tony's shoulder and gently stroked the side of his son's face. "Tony, wake up son. It's ok, you're ok. It's just a dream. Wake up Tony, it's ok." He murmured, attempting to calm him enough to pull him out of the nightmare.

Suddenly, Tony's eyes shot open and he gasped in a breath. He had a wild look in his eyes and he took in his surroundings quickly. Tony saw Gibbs sitting next to him in his bed and he shrank back a bit. His eyes cleared from the last of his nightmare and refocused on Gibbs again. The boy still had a confused look on his face when he finally spoke. "D-Daddy?" He whimpered, shaking slightly.

Gibbs gave a small grin and stroked the side of Tony's face. "Yeah, Bud. I'm here."

Tony sniffed and flung himself at Gibbs. As soon as he had a hold of the older man's clothes in his tiny fists, sobs racked his body. Gibbs wrapped his arms around the boy's shaking body and murmured into his hair. "It's ok buddy. It's going to be ok."

Tony's incoherent sobs turned down a notch to just a steady cry. Tony clutched tight to Gibbs's sturdy body and between cries he said one word, over and over again. "D-Daddy. Daddy. Daddy!"

Gibbs gripped Tony tighter and started rubbing his back, moving in slow circles. "Shhh... It's ok, Tony. I'm here. Daddy's here. It's going to be ok. I'm here." He whispered soothingly.

After several more minutes of this, Tony's cries finally subsided to sniffles and occasional whimpers. Gibbs refused to let go of Tony, waiting for the crying to cease and wear him out. Gibbs gently rocked the five year-old in silence for several minutes before he looked down and saw that Tony was curled into his chest with his thumb in his mouth, sleeping once again. Gibbs sighed and laid his son down in bed once again, but he didn't leave right away like the last time. He stood at the side of the bed and just watched him sleep. The slight sucking of his thumb, and the stead rise and fall of his tiny chest soothed Gibbs.

He stood there with a smile on his face. Tony had called him Daddy. If he realized he did it or not, Gibbs didn't care. He took that as a sign that their relationship was moving closer to being a family and not just an adult looking after a child. He finally made his way back downstairs towards his dinner and then sat on the couch with a pen and a pad of paper on his lap. He decided to create a list of everything he wanted to do in the next few days to get Tony and himself comfortable with their new lives.

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**A/N: I hope that having the whole 'Daddy' thing isn't too early, but it kinda just happened. Remember to R&amp;R! Thanks for reading! -Drew  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews. They really mean a lot. So, I just wanted to let everyone now, with school being over soon, it's going to be harder for me to write everyday, and to post new chapters, so bear with me until August. I will still be posting and still writing, but it will be even more drawn apart.  
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**Onto the next business, to one of the guest reviewers: I'm really glad you liked the last chapter. I wish I could message you to thank you right away, but sadly I can't. I'm glad you liked Tony calling Gibbs "Daddy". In fact, thanks to everyone who liked that. I'm glad no-one thought it was too soon.**

**To the second guest: I'm glad you too liked that chapter! Here's the next one!**

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The next day, Tony woke up to the sun shining through the blinds in his room. He slowly blinked his eyes and took in his surroundings, trying to remember where he was. After several minutes, he remembered that he was with Jethro, in his house. Tony slowly climbed out of bed and saw that he was in a new pair of pajamas that he didn't remember changing into the night before. Tony slowly and quietly made his way out of his room and down the stairs to the living room and kitchen. He stuck his head around the wall and saw that the living room was empty, but he smelled food coming from the kitchen. He cautiously made his way through the living room and peaked into the kitchen. He saw Jethro standing in front of the stove, cooking what smelled like eggs and bacon. Tony took a deep breath in, giving a small smile at the tantalizing smell of breakfast food.

He was about to take another step towards the kitchen when he noticed that Jethro had spotted him. Jethro gave him a warm smile and gestured for Tony to sit down at the table.

"Hey Bud, did you sleep well last night after you went back to sleep?" He asked as Tony climbed into chair at the table.

Tony shrugged. "I guess." He looked down at his pajamas again. "I like these pajamas, but I don't remember putting them on." He admitted, giving a sheepish smile.

Jethro chuckled and brought a plate full of eggs and bacon onto the table. He already had two plates and two glasses of juice setting out. "Well," he started as he dishes food on both of their plates. "You don't remember putting them on because you were asleep when we got home so I put them on you." He explained.

"Oh." Tony stated simply, before he turned to the plate of food. He lifted his eyes to look at Jethro, as if asking for permission to eat.

The older man smiled and grabbed a forkful of food. He gestured to Tony's plate and nodded. "Go ahead, Bud. Eat." He took a bite of his own food as well.

Tony grinned and dug into the pile of food that sat in front of him. He ate quietly, and didn't pause until his plate was cleared off. He looked up as Jethro chuckled and pushed his own plate across the table.

"Go ahead and eat the rest of mine it you're still hungry." Jethro told him.

Tony gave him a gracious smile and started eating the rest of the food. As he ate, he noticed that Jethro just sat there watching him. After Tony swallowed his last bite of food he spoke up. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked, fear beginning to leak into his voice and spread across his face.

In an instant Jethro was up and pulling Tony into a hug. "Of course not Bud, you haven't done anything wrong." He said soothingly as he stroked Tony's head slowly. "I was just curious about what you dreamed last night." He paused when he felt Tony stiffen against him. He pulled back a bit to look at his son's face. "Do you remember your dream?" He asked gently.

Tony gave a small nod before burying his head in Gibbs's chest. Gibbs held Tony close and picked him up, carrying him over to the couch. He sat there, slightly rocking Tony and rubbing his back.

After several minutes Tony finally pulled back. He rubbed his eyes before looking up at Gibbs. "It- it was Senior." He whispered, averting his gaze down to the floor. "He was taking me away from you." He added, looking up at Gibbs.

Gibbs sat there, holding his son, but didn't respond. He couldn't respond. Gibbs was stunned, but he saw Tony was starting to freak out. Gibbs pulled him into a tight hug and buried his head into his son's hair. "Oh Tony, I'll never let anyone take you away from me. I promise." He whispered. He felt Tony relaxing in his embrace and held him for several minutes.

Finally he stood up, letting Tony slip down to the ground. He took the five year-old's hand and led him upstairs. 'Come on bud, let's give you a bath, then we'll get ready for the day. We have ton to do."

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After his bath, Gibbs got Tony ready and they were both on their way to the store.

"Jethro?" Tony asked from the backseat.

Gibbs looked in the rear view mirror at him and smiled. "Yeah bud"

Tony looked at his lap before answering. "I was wondering if - if you would be okay if I didn't call you Jethro anymore." He stuttered nervously. He was scared of how his savior would act towards his request and so he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the worst.

Gibbs had an idea of where this conversation was going to go, but he just smiled and played along. "What would you call me, Bud?" He asked.

Tony slowly opened his eyes to see Gibbs smiling at him in the mirror. That simple gesture gave him the courage to continue. "Last night I called you Daddy..." He paused, waiting for Gibbs's reaction.

Gibbs tried to keep the grin from forming on his face, so he just concentrated on the road. "Yeah?"

Tony paused, trying to figure out what he wanted to say and how to put it. "Could I... could I call you Daddy?" He whispered, to scared about Gibbs' reaction to talk any louder.

By this time Gibbs had pulled into the parking lot of the mall. He parked the car and crawled into the backseat next to Tony before answering. He unbuckled the boy to pull him into his lap. Gibbs pulled him into a tight, but comforting, hug, trying to calm the 5 year-old.

"Tony," he whispered into the boy's ear. "You can call me whatever you want. Jethro, Daddy, Dad, Pops, I don't care. You are my son, and because of that, no matter what you call me, I will always love you." He took Tony's face in both of his hands and held him close to his own face. "Okay?" He asked.

Tony sniffed and nodded. His eyes watering with unshed tears. He was quiet for several moments before speaking again. "So, Daddy?" He asked, a sheepish smile on his face.

Gibbs smiled and nodded. "Yes?"

Tony visibly brightened at Gibbs' unspoken assurance and encouragement. "Are we going to go to the mall now?"

Gibbs let out a laugh, but nodded and let go of Tony. "Yeah, Bud. We're going to go." He opened the door and Tony climbed out before him. Gibbs grabbed the boy's hand and the pair walked into the mall.

The second they were in there, Tony stiffened in fear. He had never been in a place like this and he was quickly overwhelmed with the amount of people, the constant noise, and the constant activity.

Gibbs felt Tony stiffened and take a short breath. Gibbs instantly picked him up and gel him close. "Hey," he whispered into his son's ear. "I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you. It's ok." He soothed the boy and gently rubbed his back when Tony hid his face in Gibbs's shoulder, wrapping his tiny arms around the older man.

They stood there, in the entrance of the mall, with Gibbs holding Tony as he cried. He was okay with standing there as long as it took for the boy to calm down enough to do anything, even if it meant not moving at all that day. After several minutes of Gibbs rubbing Tony's back and whispering to him, Tony finally calmed down, and Gibbs set him back on the ground. He knelt in front of him and put a hand on Tony's shoulder.

"Are you ok, Tony?" He asked, watching for any indications that his son wasn't.

Tony sniffed and rubbed his eye. "Yeah, I'm okay." He looked down at his shoes, ashamed for crying in public. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

Gibbs pulled him in a hug and held him close. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Tony. It's okay for you to cry." He whispered in the boy's ear before letting him go.

Tony nodded and seemed to relax enough for Gibbs to stand back up. Tony took a step back and looked around. He subconsciously slipped his tiny hand in Gibbs's and smiled up at him. "It's really big in here.' He said.

Gibbs chuckled and nodded. "Yep. There are a lot of stores in just this one building." He started walking. "Come on, Bud, let's go find some stuff for you."

Tony grinned and following Gibbs, still holding his hand.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! Remember to review! Have a great day and God bless! -Drew  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: hey everyone! I'm really sorry about the wait. I've been really busy since school has let out, and it's not going to get any better. I'm going to let everyone know that the next update will be in August. So here is the next chapter! (I know it's pretty bad, but I wrote it in a rush on my way to train with the Sate Highway Patrol for a week. The next chapter will be better, I promise!) remember to review after you read and have a great day! - Drew**

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After a long day at the mall, Gibbs carried a sleeping Tony back into his house. He gently laid the boy on the couch before returning to the car to bring everything. They spent the whole day buying all sorts things. From clothes to toys, to some of Tony's favorite foods, to things to decorate his room with. Gibbs chuckled to himself as he carried everything in. He normally hates spending any time shopping at all, but with Tony, it was fun. He never knew a kid could be so intrigued by stores.

Gibbs put away all the food first, and realized the this was the most food he has had in his fridge in a long time. He gave a small smile, knowing that Tony would be eating more now than he was allowed before. At the thought of the boy, Gibbs poked his head around the corner and checked to make sure that Tony was still asleep. He smiled at the sight of the boy sleeping peacefully on the couch.

After the food, Gibbs moved on to Tony's clothes. He sorted them into smaller groups so he could wash them. Gibbs was in the middle of starting a load of darks in the washer when he heard someone shuffling to the doorway. Without looking up, he knew that a certain five year-old was up from his nap. "Hey, Buddy. How'd you sleep?" He asked, finishing that load before facing Tony.

Tony yawned, rubbing his eye with a fist. "Good." He mumbled, sleep lacing his voice.

Gibbs chuckled as he walked over and scooped the boy into his arms. "Come on, Tony. Let's go set your room up. How's that sound?" He asked.

The sleepy child nodded his agreement and mumbled incoherently against Gibbs' shoulder.

They pair went upstairs to Tony's room and spent the rest of the afternoon organizing and going through everything they had gotten when they were out. Losing track of time, Gibbs didn't realize how late it had become until he heard knocking at his door. Gibbs stood up from where he was playing with some toy cars with Tony and headed towards the stairs. "I'll be right back, Tony. Stay here in your room, okay?" He said, waiting until he saw a nod to move to get the door.

He opened the front door to see Tom, Mike, and Ducky standing on the other side. He smiled at them, letting them in. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked.

The three men looked between each other before Tom spoke up. "We're here for a cookout." With that, the other two men held up bags with all the supplies needed to grill out.

Gibbs smiled at his friends and coworkers, but held up a finger to pause them. He walked over to the stairs and shouted up to the second floor. "Tony, you have some visitors! You might want to come down and see who it is!"

Within seconds, the four adults could hear a pair of feet running over and down the stairs. The running stopped at the top of the stairs, and they all heard a gasp of surprise. "Tom! Mike! Ducky!" The boy exclaimed, running the rest of the way down the stairs and right to the middle of the adults.

Tom bent down and scooped Tony up, giving him a crushing hug. "Hey, Buddy. How have you been?" He asked, lightly tickling the boy's sides.

Tony squealed with delight and squirmed, trying to get away from the tickles. After a few minutes of the mock torture, Tom let him go, and he ran back over to Gibbs. "Daddy, what are they doing here?" Asked, holding onto Gibbs' pant leg.

Gibbs tried to stifle a laugh at the shocked faces of his friends when they heard Tony say 'daddy'. He looked down at his son and smiled. "They came over for a cookout. Is that okay?" He asked.

Tony made a show of thinking about it before he smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's okay!"

The four adults chuckled and Gibbs ruffled the boy's hair. "Good, because they were going to stay either way."

The group walked through the kitchen and outside where Gibbs had his grill stashed. They took turns playing with Tony and getting everything ready to be cooked.

After everyone had stuffed themselves with food, the group relaxed outside, watching Tony try to catch lightning bugs.

Throughout Gibbs's three month leave, they tried to have a cookout at least once a week. Tony loved every second, and the pair bonded over everything they did. When his leave was almost up, Gibbs knew that their relationship as father and son would be alright.


End file.
